Primary school becomes county hub for the delivery of Primary Engineer’s teacher training programmes

Bothal Primary School in Ashington in South East Northumberland is to become a county hub for STEM-specific (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) teacher training.

This follows the launch of a new engineering initiative and training lab named in honour of Primary Engineer.

The school, which operates two sites as part of the Ashington Learning Partnership (ALP) Trust, was selected by Primary Engineer as one of a handful of schools across the UK to pilot a programme which will see pupils receive recognition for any activities they complete in line with the Institution of Primary Engineers’ competencies and capabilities.

Funded by the Platten Family Foundation, the Institution of Primary Engineers suite at the school, which features 3D printers, IT facilities and practical work spaces will provide new training opportunities for teachers working with Primary Engineer’s programmes from across the region and beyond, as well as serve as an additional classroom resource for the school.

The children who participate in the new initiative will receive membership certificates and letters after their name as members of the Institution, mirroring the format of professional engineering institutions.

The Institution of Primary Engineers is due to launch nationally at the House of Lords in May 2019.

“It is our firm belief that the younger we can get children to engage with STEM subjects and the skills associated with them, the better. This is why we have built STEM-driven initiatives into our teaching curriculum across both our upper and lower sites, introducing our Trust-wide STEM principles to pupils as young as nursery age,” said Andy Roberts, executive principal at Ashington Learning Partnership Trust.

“In recent years, we have established strong working partnerships with a number of globally recognised brands who operate regional divisions such as Rio Tinto, AkzoNobel and Stratstone BMW to enable us to bring value adding, industry-led STEM experiences into school for the children. Our new partnership with Primary Engineer will enable us to further this work and see the children recognised with proper accreditation for their innovation.”